Music on a mission
Chicago has Lollapalooza. Indio, Calif. has Coachella. Four years ago, Iowa City added its own festival to the list.
The Mission Creek Music and Arts Festival showcases music, literature, and visual art in Iowa City at various venues, including bookstores and coffee shops.
“It is a good platform to see Iowa City. You can run around from venue to venue,” said Andre Perry, the producer and founder of Mission Creek in Iowa City. “It allows local and regional bands to get a lot more people [at shows]. There is enough national talent that [smaller] bands get the opportunity to play with and network with bigger bands.”
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From West Coast to Midwest
Perry worked as an assistant in San Francisco’s original Mission Creek, which is now in its 13th year. When founder Jeff Ray learned that Perry was going to move to Iowa City, he suggested starting something similar for Midwesterners. Iowa City’s Mission Creek has a staff of four, who choose the musicians and artists and work with SCOPE and KRUI.
The festival has expanded each year, not only in visibility but also in length. It used to be four days long, but this year a pre-party and wind-down party drew the festival out for six days.
“More people are coming each year, and there are bigger names as far as national acts,” Perry said. “Our goal is to make it one of the bigger events in Iowa City. To make it a tradition that people in town and out of town come and enjoy it.”
Some of the headliners from last spring include the Cool Kids, the Tallest Man on Earth, and GZA, with venues ranging from Prairie Lights Books, 15 S. Dubuque St., to the IMU to the Mill, 120 E. Burlington.
“We wanted to support the local scene,” said Sam Lockeward, a manager at the Mill. “It is the only festival of its kind in Iowa City. It brings a lot of attention to town and local artists.”
Creek’s freak
Mission Creek recently launched its record label, Mission Freak, which releases limited-edition CDs or vinyl that bands can sell when they tour. Of the five bands on Mission Freak, four are from Iowa City.
“It’s good to give them a push,” Perry said.
Bands that played this year’s Mission Creek Music and Arts Festival include:
The Cool Kids
No Age
The Hood Internet
GZA
The Tallest Man on Earth
The Mountain Goats
Mission Creek venues include:
Picador, 330 E. Washington
Mill, 120 E. Burlington
IMU
Public Space One, 129 E. Washington
Englert Theatre, 221 E. Washington
Prairie Lights Books, 15 S. Dubuque
Java House, 211 1/2 E. Washington
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